Fake News: News For Sale

Fake news is also corruption, When there is no commitment to truth or accuracy and no pretense of objectivity, the next step, and it is a very small step, is simply taking bribes to publish Fake News for anyone with a checkbook. And it is suprisingly affordable.

According to a Tuesday report from The Outline, news outlets such as Forbes, Fast Company, and the Huffington Post have taken payment from companies in exchange for positive coverage. Outline reporter Jon Christian claimed that brands have constructed elaborate payment schemes in exchange for positive coverage in popular news outlets such as Mashable, Business Insider, and Entrepreneur. […]

According to the source, the amount for each reference can be as little as $50 to $175. The anonymous writer claimed that sometimes the firms provide him with a pre-written article that he simply publishes under his byline. […]

Reporters from various news outlets told Christian that they receive offers from advertising agencies seeking positive coverage. An agency called ArticleHub claims that they will pay $5,000 for a brand mention in the New York Times, $4,500 in TechCrunch, and $3,000 in Business Insider. ArticleHub says they will pay $4,000 for a feature story in Forbes.